Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-10-13

scter OF the laws produced by the last
Dakota legislature, more especially
those enacted by that republican BODY
at the instance of democratic carpet
bag governor. Generally speaking the
laws instigated by his excelIency are OF
the sort which add to his official
power and some of them are lamentably
strong IN that particular. Bot in Great.
ing criticism 10 should be borne in
mind that republican Legislature
gave its voice and it's vote to the
passage of these acts. so the republican
party must share the odinm with the
democratic party.
In recent address at Feulkton GEN
eral FL. j. Campbell called the attention
OF bis audience to the laws providing
the appointment and duties OF the pub-
lilo examiners of Dakota and their re-
sponsibility to the governor. These
are two new positions authorized during
the legislative, session OF 1887. The
remarks of the general have induced
careful scrutiny into the provisions of
these laws and inquiry into the history
OF this legislation.
1t is found that the bill which has
gone upon the statutes as the public
examiner act was the joint product of
the talent of Governor Church and Major
Edwards The latter contracted to make
it and put it through the legislature, OF
which he was not member, and in
compensation for his services he was to
be appointed to the position of
public examiner. Each OF these indI-
viduals carried out his share of the con.
tract. Edwards lobbied the bill through
republican Legislature and
the governor nominated him
to the coveted position. But members
OF the council cruelty objected to the ap-
pointment and the governor withdrew
the name OF his able assistant and eli his
toll was in vain.
Passing from the creator to the thing
created, We find that the law, as con-
structed by Edwards, passed by the leg
isiature and signed by the governor,
gives to the governor power to suspend
from office every county treasurer, coun-
ty auditor and sheriff and the territorial
auditor and treasurer. Under the inter
probation of the law recently made by
the governor he takes to himself full
authority to remove at will the terri
tor'sl treasurer, territorial auditor and
the auditors, trfasurers and aherlffs of
every county in Dakota. All be need do
as preliminary to such removal is to
cause the public examiner to institute
an investigation. This law was made by
republican legislature in behalf Of
democratic carpet bag governor. The
same law and supplementary enact
mens gives to the public examiner and
the governor Unlimited power over all
private banks, saving banks, insurance
companies aDd all the moneyed corpora
tiope OF the territory. The language of
the Law ls that the governor may, in the
cases OF banks. insurance companies,
moneyed corporations, etc., "take such
action as the exigenoles OF the case may
demand" That is, he may wipe them
out of existence il he sees fit, upon re-
port from his public examiner. The law
makes felony of refusal to comply
with the demands of the public examiner
snd subjects the party so refusing to
fine and imprisonment. This law further
provides that the officers of all pub
lie institutions may be investigated with
out limit by the public examiner
and that individual, IN collu-
sion with the governor, may
smirch the name end blacken
the character OF any such official who
refuses to obey the commands OF the
governor or OF the public examiner.
We pause to enquire what the reader
thinks OF an enactment OF this nature in
a country where imperialism does not
flourish? 1t was created by republican
Legislature for the benefit OF a democrat.
10 carpet bag governor.
La the primitive simplicity OF the bill,
as constructed by its author, ii opened
the way to fortune and fame for the
public examiner. He could bleckmail
| every county in the territory, il he chose,
| and could nominate the next delegate to
congress through the power bestowed
upon him by the provisions Of the
measure. 1t was ably constructed, if
these we're the purposes in view, or 1T
may have been accidentally SO made
But in looking the law over after its
passage the governor appears to have
detected its eccentricities, for we find at
tached thereto in the printed book a
supplementary act giving the governor
power to remove the public examiner at
/ will. He saw that without thia
modification the public examiner
was liable to become bigger man than
his official creator. The supplementary
act confers upon the governor ell the
power tho original aot confers upon the
| public examiner, by extending to the
u former the authority to remove the lat
ter st any time. We presume the re-
publican legislature passed this amend
atory act because tho democratic carpet
bag governor requested II, No one els.
81 .